Hi Renee and welcome. If not scale, it could be aphids or mealybugs. Both leave a sticky honeydew substance behind. Ants are attracted to the sugary substance. Please inspect your plant more closey, in the leaf joints, along the stems, in any unfurled leaves. If you see white fluffy looking stuff- you have mealybugs. If you see wooly looking bugs(green, black, e.t.c. t hey come in variety of colors) all clumped together, you may have aphids. I agree with Foxy that the webbing is an indication of spider mites. It sounds like you have a couple different kinds of pest invading your plant. You need to identify them first and then take immediate action to save your plant. They all will kill your plant. GH

My bugs got a margarita (water, dishwater soap, tequila :) ) We'll see if the leaves become sticky again. Was curious if the whole mix is toxic and if I could water the orchid with that water, to choke the bugs hiding in between the roots.

Unless you are drawing your water from a well, it's likely that your water comes from several sources and the quality changes depending on the time of year. White/grey residue on washer parts and similar debris in your clothing points to hardness minerals precipitating out of solution. It's possible that your detergent is reacting badly to any changes in your water chemistry, and if your chemistry changes throughout the year that would explain why you are seeing it sometimes, but not all the time. I recommend you switch to a liquid detergent and see if it gets better. Citric acid is a fantastic non-precipitating water softener that is also used to clean hard water build-up. I would try removing the buildup using citric acid and switch to a commercial detergent to see if the situation improves.

Sticky stuff (also known as Honeydew) is often found on the spikes of orchids. Generally, it is a sign of a happy plant. Some people prefer to remove honeydew because they experience some molding if they are kept under very humid conditions, this is entirely at the discretion of the grower. In some cases, spider mites and other stresses can cause a plant to exude a sticky subtance from the leaves. Check thoroughly for spider mites and other critters by tapping the leaves over a piece of white paper, looking for tiny webs and even tinier bugs.